Sat, Sep 16, 2006
Kinetic Energy Interceptor Has A First Stage
Alliant Techsystems
(ATK) successfully test-fired the first-stage rocket motor for the
U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Kinetic Energy Interceptor
(KEI) Wednesday.
This is the second in a series of static motor firings in the
company's effort to meet its first scheduled booster flight in
2008. Northrop Grumman is leading the industry team developing and
testing a KEI capability under contract to MDA. Raytheon is
developing and integrating the KEI system's interceptor.
In a press release, ATK's Vice President of Strategic &
Commercial Systems Bill Condas said, "The rocket motor burned
successfully to completion, demonstrating proof-of-concept of the
motor assembly and its thrust vector control nozzle for this
high-acceleration, high-velocity, and highly maneuverable missile.
Initial test results matched expectations for rocket motor
performance and integrity."
In January ATK ran a successful test of the rocket motor's
second stage.
ATK is the largest propulsion subcontractor on the KEI program,
under contract to Raytheon's interceptor team. They produce
first-stage rocket motors at facilities in Utah and have plans for
facilities in Maryland to produce the second- and third-stage
rocket motors. Other subsystems will be produced by ATK in West
Virginia.
As ANN has reported in recent articles, the MDA has had mixed
results in full-scale testing of its trouble-prone missile defense
systems. Earlier this week a Northop Grumman target missile was
destroyed by range officers when it malfunctioned after launch. The
week prior saw the successful interception of a target missile by a
Boeing interceptor missile, marking the system's first success in
nearly 18 months.
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